Jack adaptor Pads

B

Baza

Active member
 Oxfordshire
Like most Z4 owners, I, when I want to jack the car up use a Jack pad on top of the saddle of the jack. Question is, is the weight of the car supposed to be on the base of the pad or on top of the rectangular section of the pad. I have a couple of Pads one has the car sitting firmly on the base using the rectangular section for location. The other where there is clearance between the car jack-point and the base of the pad so the car sits on top of the rectangular section . Whats correct or does it matter ?
 
I'm a tech Luddite, but the top part of mine compressed rapidly & was supported by both sections.

Although I'm sure someone with more knowledge will point out my errors!
 
I am lost to what you mean.

On my jack, I just have a vw pad to go around the ridge of the car support point but for none of my BMWs have I used anything but the plain jack itself.
 
The pad adapters are plastic things that slot into the rectangular jack points on BMWs and Minis and probably more.
They basically give you a flat surface to put the jack on and is meant to protect the jacking point.
Never used them as I find my trolley jack fits nicely on the jack points with 2 of the raised parts of the trolley jack inside the jacking point and 2 outside.
Not damaged any of the jacking points on the Z or the mini doing this.
 
Hi Jimbo. I use the same sort of thing but mine are aluminium so do not compress so in one case the weight is borne on the base (circular section) and on the other on the top of the rectangular section. Its a mute point but depends where the weight of the car is designed to rest. I guess with a rubber /composite pad it finds its own level.
 
I have both sorts - a couple of billet aluminium ones and a couple of rubber ones that I made myself by taking a hacksaw to an ice hockey puck, both work equally well

For those that don't use them and don't think they're needed....

I got mine after seeing reports of the jacking point starting to crack/shatter if used directly on a trolley jack - admittedly, this was on older cars where the plastic had had more time to grow brittle with age. Because they're no longer supplied as standard, I haven't seen a recent BMW jack, but the standard BMW scissor jack used to have a rectangular top that fitted into the rectangular jacking point and I decided that, as BMW obviously designed the jacking point to be be used that way, I'd start using adaptors
 
Ordered too. Have scraped the side of my jacking point when it has stuck to the plastic on release!

Thanks for this didn't know about these :thumbsup:
 
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